Tomato Overload

There are many ways to save your harvest and if you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with here are some ideas.

First and foremost is water bath canning, I love this because it means that I can store tomatoes on the shelf in my pantry for the year. Fairly easy to do but when it’s hot and humid out like it has been this summer FORGET IT!

As many of you already know, I like to freeze my tomatoes also so later when it’s cool I can make sauce or unfreeze and can them to make more room in the freezer for up and coming dinners. Freezing tomatoes is the fastest way to get things done, wash, and dry then freeze on a baking sheet until frozen solid, pop into a freezer bag and you are done for the day! You can remove one or four at a time, whatever you need and as they begin to defrost, which is almost right away, the skin will slip off easily.

My second favorite is to make Oven Roasted Tomatoes, although it does require having the oven on for some length of time. I love to dry my cherry tomatoes and then float them in a good olive oil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Chopped in a salad, in a bruschetta or top on a pizza, they pack a flavorful punch. Fill up your baking sheet and get started right away!

Fontina & Tomato Tart

Oven Roasted Tomato Recipe

Zucchini Blossom Quesadilla

6 / 26 / 17

I first tasted these at The Santa Monica Farmers Market about 15 years ago when The Two Hot Tamale girls were doing a demo for their restaurant, Border Grill (now closed, sadly). It’s a perfect little snack for an early summer day, zucchini plants are going wild with flowers and are daring to be picked & stuffed. Make sure you pick all male blossoms rather than female blossoms or you won’t have any fruit. To tell the difference look at the bottom of the flower, you’ll see a round little nub or small zucchini attached, this is a female blossom….move on. The male blossoms are attached just by them stem with no nub at the bottom, you’ll be able to tell. Open the flowers gently as there may be a bee inside collecting pollen, he will fly away when you open the petals, be gentle. If you want to wash them use cool water and dry well but do this just before you’re ready to prepare the dish. Or you can buy them at your local farmers market, the blossoms are delicate and will last no more than a day so pick right before you’re going to make the quesadillas.

Squash Blossom Quesadilla

4-6 squash blossoms, stems and stamens removed, chopped
4 roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
2 ears of corn, roasted, cut off the cob
4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1-2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
8 flour tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste
Tomatillo Salsa
1/2 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered 
1/2 - 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (depending on how much heat you want)
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped 
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves 
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste,
squeeze of fresh lime juice

Mix together all ingredients together seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a grill pan or griddle, add 1 Tb. butter. Add a tortilla and cook it on one side until it puffs (about 30 seconds).

Flip tortilla over and sprinkle over entire surface 1/4 cup of squash blossom filling.

Top with another tortilla, and after cheese has melted and the two tortillas stick together (a couple of minutes), flip quesadilla and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Repeat for the remainder of the filling and tortillas.

For the Tomatillo Salsa

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse to combine. Blend on low speed until a coarse puree is formed.

Pour into a bowl, taste and add more salt or lime if desired. Salsa can be thinned with a bit of water if desired.

Buffet Party Dishes

5 / 10 / 17

Demo Cooking Class

May 18th & June 1st

6:30 – 8:30 p.m., approximately

By reservation only, see below

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Tart With Fresh Lemon Olives

Marinated Vegetable Salad California

Nicoise Style Sandwich

Candied Bacon Deviled Eggs

Mixed Berry Cheesecake

For reservations call

Temecula Olive Oil

(562) 296-5421

Sponsored by

Extra January Class!

1 / 16 / 171 / 16 / 17

Cooking at Temecula Olive Oil, Seal Beach

Jan 19th

6:30 – 8:30, approximately

Minestrone Soup with Italian Meatballs

Pork Braciola Porchetta Style

(Stuffed pork cutlets stuffed with Italian herbs & cheese)

Served with Mushroom Ragu

Saffron Risotto

Tangerine Panna Cotta

By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740

New Cooking Class Venue

1 / 11 / 17

Cooking at Fullerton Arboretum

New Events!

Celebrating the seasons around the table with demonstration style cooking class and a specialty food tasting each month.

Join my friend Chef Louise Mellor and I in the beautiful gardens at Cal State Fullerton’s Arboretum for a meal as we celebrate the seasons. Learn how to stock your pantry and together we’ll use garden fresh, seasonal ingredients with classic French techniques to create simple, exciting dishes for special occasions and everyday meals.

We will also be sharing how to entertain with simplicity and style. Most importantly, we hope you will be inspired to get into the kitchen at home and share life around the table.

Full lunch servings will be offered and wine will be available if desired. Here are upcoming classes for Jan, Feb and March, take a look here for class registration and the schedule through summer! Hope to see you there~

Saturday, Jan. 21, 11 – 2
Book Signing and Demo

Soup from the pantry

Join us for a demonstration on soup basics and enjoy a hearty bowl of minestrone soup with puff pastry ‘rolls’.

February 11th, Saturday, 11 – 2
Cupid in the kitchen…
Chocolate Tasting

Roasted Spring Asparagus salad with Meyer Lemon vinaigrette

Elegant Beef Wellington Puff Pastry Tarts with Caramelized Onions, Maytag Blue Cheese, Sautéed Mushrooms

Dark chocolate hazelnut flourless cake with vanilla bean ice cream and fresh berries

March 25th Saturday, 11 – 2
I left my heart in San Francisco…
Olive oil tasting

Homemade herbed ricotta with lemon, Parmesan & blistered tomatoes served on sourdough crostini

San Franciscan style Cioppino with fresh seafood in a rich tomato white wine broth.

Blood orange olive oil cake with whipped Grand Manier marscapone

Holiday Appeteaser Party

11 / 4 / 16

Last Cooking Demo of the Year! Come and enjoy some tasty holiday party treats with us and we’ll send you off with some delicious, easy recipes for the season.

Thurs, Dec 8th
6:30 – 8:30, approximately

The Holiday Appeteaser Party

Smoked Salmon Mousse Coins with Roasted Red PepperSauce
Shrimp Cocktail Butter Lettuce Cups
Smoked Trout Crostini
Tuscan Lemon Chicken Speidini
Mini Hasselback Potato Bites
Chocolate Peppermint Truffles

By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740

Sponsored by

Holiday Cooking

11 / 4 / 16

November Cooking Demo’s

Don’t miss out! These are some of the last classes of the year. All based around holiday cooking, join us to learn tips & tricks on how to get through the season deliciously!

Thurs, Nov. 10th
6:30 – 8:30, approximately
Reserve your spot today!

Temecula Olive Oil Tasting Room, Seal Beach

Apple, Goat Cheese & Sage Tart
Duck Breast with Balsamic Jus
Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Pomegranate Seeds
Pear Cranberry Crisp

Thurs., Nov. 17th
6:30 – 8:30, approximately

Fruit & Cheese Plates
Roasted Chicken with Chestnuts & Shallots
Learn how to cut up a whole chicken!
Fresh Sage, Apple & Brioche Dressing with Pancetta
Cranberry Frisee Salad
Salted Caramel Apple Cake

By Reservation Only
(562) 296-5421
148 Main Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740

Sponsored by

10 must have pantry items for the holidays

11 / 4 / 1611 / 4 / 16

10 must have pantry items for the holidays

Basic Pantry

Organic Chicken Stock
Unsalted butter and a variety of oils (Olive Oil, Peanut, Vegetable & Grapeseed)
Organic Large Eggs
Organic Milk and Cream (for whipping and cooking)
Variety of cheeses, for cooking and serving as appetizers or dessert
Variety of potatoes, Russet for baked or mashed, Fingerlings or Yukon Gold for roasting
Day old breads for breadcrumbs and stuffing or dressing. Freeze for later use. Crackers
Celery, Carrots and Onions, Fresh Citrus
Fresh Sage, Italian Parsley and other herbs
Fresh and Dried Mushrooms

Buy my book ‘What’s In Your Pantry’ for more tips & tricks in the kitchen!

Baking

Beyond the basics, flour, white, brown and powdered sugars, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla.

Nuts
Chocolate
Cocoa Powder
Cinnamon or Baking Spice, Allspice, Nutmeg
Dried Fruits
Variety of jam for easy to make desserts
Peppermint and dried fruit candies
Cream of tartar
Parchment paper
Caramels and Toffee

Make Ahead for the Freezer

Pie Dough
Cookie Dough
Puff Pastry (buy an all butter pastry-read the label)
Gravy
Easy bake appetizers, Empanadas, Pot Stickers, Crab Cakes, Cheese Balls
Meatballs, basic recipe use different sauces for quick appetizers
Quickbreads
Casseroles
Breakfast Treats, Cinnamon Rolls, Scones,
Frozen Seafood, Shrimp, Scallops, Lobster

It’s Hatch Chile Time!

8 / 15 / 16

Get out your BBQ’s or roasters, it’s time for Hatch Chile’s! You’ll want to stock up on these fabulous, versatile chiles while they are in season. Melissa’s Produce brings these chiles from Hatch, New Mexico to Southern California and hosts roastings all over the southland (actually all over the US). You could order raw ones from Melissa’s website, melissas.com , or you could pop into a roasting (check out roasting dates, times & stores here) and they will roast them up for you on-site. Inside the store you’ll find all kinds of Hatch chile treats as well as things to cook up like Hatch Salmon Burgers or Hatch Chile Crab Cakes and Hatch chile sausage. Baked goods, cheese with Hatch chile’s, salsa and sauces. The list is endless!

Here is a perfect chicken wing recipe for football season, we grilled it up for the LA Rams first pre-season football game last weekend.

Tangerine Hatch Chile Chicken Wings and Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Serve the wings with the Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and sliced veggies and LOTS of napkins.

3 small Persian cucumbers or large English cucumber, diced
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups Greek yogurt*
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 package chicken wings
1 bottle of Not Ketchup Sugar Free Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce*

Toss a bunch of chicken wings with Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce and grill over hot coals until the chicken wings are blackened and tender.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Peel cucumbers and dice, if using English cucumber you can remove the seeds. Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt to draw out some of the water, let drain for about 30 min. Place the cucumbers into a piece of cheesecloth or kitchen towel and twist the towel to get out any remaining liquid.

Add everything to the food processor and blend until you get the consistency you want (chunky or creamy). Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate before serving, best if made a few hours before you’re going to serve it.

*If the yogurt is a little runny you can drain it through cheesecloth for several hours or overnight.

*You can find the Sugar-Free Tangerine Hatch Chile ‘Not Ketchup’ here

Refrigerator Pickled Veggies

8 / 4 / 16

Pickled Veggies

1 bunch of radish
3 carrots
4 mini white turnips
¼ # thin green beans
4 small watermelon radish
1 lg. clove garlic, crushed but whole
2 shallots, sliced thin
2 ½ cups pomegranate or red wine vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup white vinegar
2 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 strips of lemon peel
2 tablespoons pickling or canning salt (do not use any other salt)

Cut up all your veggies into what ever shape you like, making sure they fit into the jar that you will pickle them in.

In a medium sized saucepan add vinegar, sugar, lemon peel and salt; bring to a slow boil, whisk until all the sugar is dissolved,

Wash a quart canning jar and fill with hot water. Let stand while you are bringing the brine to a boil.

Once the sugar has dissolved in the brine, pour the water out of the jar and fill with veggies. Pour the brine over them, let cool, then cap and refrigerate.

June Cooking Class

5 / 17 / 165 / 17 / 16

Chef Debbi Cooking Demo

with

June

Thur. June 9th

6:30 – 8:30. approximately

Blue Cheese & Heirloom Tomato Tartlettes
Dilled Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Toasts
Peculiar Pickled Veggies& Pickled Deviled Eggs
Bacon Wrapped Bourbon Glazed Shrimp Skewers
Broccoli Bow Tie Salad
Apricot Jam Shortbread Bars

Seal Beach Tasting Room
$45.00
By Reservation Only (562) 296-5421

Sponsored by

Photo: Food Network BBC